Steel tie.



L L. KIIVI BALL.

STEEL TIE.

APPLICATION man MARA 1. 1918.

Patented July 2,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. L l

LQYLUQUM,

I. L. KIMBALL.

STEEL TIE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 1. |918.

l .m l .Mm Patented my 2, 1918.

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dpceldcahon et mettersi Patent.

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Application med March 1, 11u10. Serial llamame.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that ll, lAMns L. Erinnern., a citizen of the United States, residing at Virginia, in the -county of St. liouis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inl Steel 'l`ies; and ll do declare the following to be a f ull, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention,

such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the This invention relates to railway ties, and it relates more particularly to certain improvements on my railway ties which constitute the subject-'matter of my Fatents No. 993,254, granted May 24, 1911, and No. 1,013,023, granted December26, 1911.

One of the objects of my invention is to generally improve and cheapen the construction oit railwa ties of this character.. n

Another object is to provide a combined V steel and concrete tie which is thoroughly practical, edicient, and substantially indestructible.

Another object oit this invention -is to provide a railway tie oit this character which is till more resilient than other similar constructions.

Another object is to provide a thoroughly ecient securing means iter the spikes which hold the railway rails on the seats of the ties.

Another object is to provide securing means of this character from which the spikes may 'be quickly and easily disengaged whenv desired.

Another object is to provide means whereby the railway spikes may be duplicated in connection with the securing means, in such relation that the spike which is engaged bythe securing means serves as a means for securing the adjacent spike in its operative position.

Another object is to provide a substantial metal backing for the railway spikes, said backing being suppo by the cement tilling, which latter also su ports the rail seat.

@ther objects and a vantages may become ap arent to persons who read thetollowin etails oi description in connection with die accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top, plan view of my iinproved railway tie having fragments of railway rails seated and secured thereon;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken along the line of 2-2 oit Fig. 1;"

p and i Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical, sectional Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view taken along the line of 3-3 ot Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view taken along the line of 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sheet steel cap of the tie;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the three separate concrete blocks which constitute the base and filler of the tie;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental top, plan view illustrating the tie employing pairs of spikes for engagement with each side of the rail base;

view along the line ol 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to these'drawngs in detail, in

which similar reference characters corre.

spond with similar parts throughout the several views, the rails A and spikes B may be oit ordinary construction, and are not described in detail. 'lhe railway tie consists mainly of the elements illustrated separately in' Figs. 5 and 6, the lirst of these elements or members ldconsisting of a channel beam ot steel or other sheet metal which is preterably more or less springy. Each of the members 10 is provided with slits 11 and 12, and with relatively long and narrow openings 13, each of which communicates with a pair of the slits 11 and 12 in such manner as to provide springs or tongues 14. I'llie ektreme end 16 of each tongue is spaced from the opposin wall of the opening 13avdistance somew at less than the thickness of an ordinary railway spike, so that when the spike is driven into the opening 13 at the part opposite the tongue 14, this operation forces the tongue into the position shown in' Fig. I 2, it being understood that suitable backing, hereinafter described, coperates with the spike for thus deflecting the tongue or spike-engagin spring 14. '.lhe openings 13 are considerab y longer than the width oit .the shank ol an ordinary railway spike, and

the width of each tongue 14 is substantially lequal to the width of an ordinary railway spike. Flach tongue 14 extends substantially from side to side of the rail seat, so that the rail acts as a guard for preventing the tongues from being disengaged from the respective spikes. The openings 13 extend substantially at right angles t'o the respective tongues 14, and when it is desired to disengage the tongues from the spikes the latter may be forced in their lateral direction, in

tively narrow top or cap, thus minimlzing the expense by reducing the s1ze; of the. more expensive of the elements which enter 'the-longitudinal Vdirec-:tion of the-)openings l 1,13;` and thereby disengaging the spikes from the rails A, it will be seen that the pair of `the' respective-`ton`gues 14, and ythe spikes l ma be easily withdrawn from said openin s `y 'referrlng to Fig.` 1, 'in which the sllts 11-' and 12 are shownin. dotted lines under *tongues atfeach end of the tie extends in vextend ,in opposite under the rail.

opposite' directions.' In other words, the; .openings 13 being' on oppositesides of the,

rail A, it is necessar 'that the tongues 14 communicate withthe s ike-receivin openings at the opposite si es of the ral A, in

vlew of the said tonguesbeing positioned The shet metal element -lO'is stiiiened land keptstraight by means o f the down;l #turned iianges or walls 17, and the,l 'latter-p are providedwith apertures 18 for apur pose hereinafter 'set forth..

.The combined base and filler shown in` i Fig. 6 is preferably formed in three' parts .19 and` 20,"the two end parts being-of subtantially counterpart and interchangeable fitn'stru'ction.v These. rarts 19 and 20 are 'A separately constructs in order that they may be interchanged or replaced by similan ones in lcase one `of them should become damaged.l Only one of the members 19 will be described, andthis description will suffice for the other. Each member- 19 is of a'size and shape to lill the s acebetween the anges 17, at one end o the member `10, aperture's'21 being provided in position to v. be alined with the apertures 18, so'that bolts or other securing members v22 may be -l vextended. therethrough for securing the 'metal and concrete members 'together' as a unitary structure. Each member 19-is pref? erably broadened b`y the provision of flangesv 23 which extend laterally beyond the loweredges of the anges 17 ,.and provide a `relatively wide base, so that thetie may have a broad foundation', while having a comparainto the construction. .A

Y Each of the cement blocks or members 19 is provided with depressed portions 24, adapted` to receive the respective springs 14, and communicating with each depresorder that the wall ofthe aperture 25 will not crumble or wear away-underthe pressure of the spike or spikes, a metal plate 26 l .isA provided. The plate 26 is preferably formed with flanges 27 which extend into l' the body of the 'concrete element 19 and securely hold the plate 26 in position.

irections in order to l :way tie which sho d meet with 'and commercial success.

Referringnow to -Fi 7 and 8, it is here y to be understood thatmy l, orderv that the Vconcrete blocks may be held intact even if theyk should become broken, I provide reinforcing rods 28 and 29, .whichare referably Cshaped, although `thelr free en s maybe brought into contact with -oneanother, and in either event the rods 28 and 29 'formsubstantially rec- ,tangular, open frames, which extend 'approximately from end to end' of the blocks and `surround the aiertures through which' the bolts 22' exten -From the foregoing' description, yit will beseen that I have provided a very simple and yet very com lete and 'practical railgreat favor shownhow the spreadlng ofthe rails may sol be effectually prevented by doubling the re- -sistance tothe spreading of the rails. In these views2 especiallyin Fig. 8, it is shown that two spikes B may be placed side by side within one of the apertures' or4 openings 13, andthe'corre'sponding opening 25. When thus placed within the openings 13 and 25, one of the spikes is first placed in the part of the-openmg'away from the end of the detent or spring 14 and the other s ike is then driven into the openings 13 an 25 in such position that one of its vertical sides is lengaged between the adjacent tongue or detent 14 land the backing plate 26, and the head of this latter spike extends over the head of the adjacent spike, as' illustrated in Fig. '8, so that'both of the spikes B are efectually detained or locked in the openings lland 25 and can only be removed therefrom by the ap lication of sufiicient -force against the over apping spike head to force it away from or `past the other spike head, whereupon the innermost spike may be easilyV drawn from the apertures 13 and 25, 'and the other spike may then be removed-by forcing it laterally away from the detent 14.

. Although -I ,have .described this embodiment of my invention very minutely, it is invention 1s not limited bythese exact details of construction and arrangement of parts, but I am entitled to make such minor changes that do n ot constitute a departure from the inventive idea expressed in the foregoing de. scription and following claims:

What I claim as my invention is s 1. In a railwa tie, a sheet metal element formed integral y with a struck-up spikeengaging tongue and having-a spike-receiving opening at the free end of said tongue, and a concrete block cooperative with the extreme free end of said tongue for locking a spike in said opening.

2. In a railway tie2 a sheet metal element 'formed integrally with a struck-up spikeengaging tongue and having a spike-receiv-- narrano ing opening at the tree end el said tongue, a metal element cooperative with the entreme end of said tongue il'or locking a spike in said opening, and a concrete bloclr securing the second said metal element in heed relation to the rst said metal element and supporting the latter.

3. lln a railway tie, a sheet metal element formed integrally with a struck-up spilreengaging tongue and having a spike-receiving opening at the tree end oit' said ton ue,

, and means coperative with the extreme ree end oi said tongue for locking a spike in said opening, said opening having a portion oilset from the end ot said tongue and heing adapted to receive a spilre out of eugagement with .said tongue, tor the purpose specified. i

d. ln a railway tie, a metal element provided with an opening and with slits eatending respectively from one end and from the middle part or said openin so as to form a spike-engaging tongue aving its free end disposed at only one side ot" said opening, said opening being considerably wider than the shank oil an ordinary railway spike, whereby a spike may be moved laterally out oil engagement with said tongue.

5. lln a railway tie, the combination ot a metal element provided with a spike-receiving opening which is considerably longer than the width of the shank of an ordinary railway spike, and a tlat spring ot" a width considerably less than the length ot said opening and supported at right angles to said spike-receiving opening and in position to en ageits extreme end with a spilre when the atter is in one end ol the opening,

said spring hein out ot engagement with the spike when t e spilre is in the other end ot sald opening. t. lln a railway tie, the combination ol a metal element provided with a spike-receiving opening which is considerably longer than the width ot the shank ot an ordinary railway spike, a dat spring ol* a width considerably less` than the length ot said opening and supported at right angles to said spike-receiving openin and in position to engage its extreme end with a spike when the latter is in one end ot the opening, said spring being out of engagement with the spilre when the spike is in the other end oilB said opening, and a metal element supported in hxed relation to the tirst said metal ele- A ment and bein cooperative with said spring for securely ho ding a spilre against outward longitudinal movement.

7. llu a railway tie, a sheet metal element comprising a rail-seat provided with slits extending longitudinally ot the tie, said plate being provided with an opening communicating with said slits so as to provide a tongue in a position to be covered by a rail when the latter is on said rail-seat,

whereby said tongue" is guarded by the rail, and guarded means cooperative with said Vtongue lor securing` a railway spike in said opening.

ln testimony whereof ll have hereunto set my hand in the presence ol' two subscrib- Gl. l. 'Wmnrana il. R. hnoenama ing witnesses,

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